Casey calls on Biden administration for more data on nursing home booster shots

Casey calls on Biden administration for more data on nursing home booster shots

By Hayden Mitman
December 31, 2021

HARRISBURG, Pa. – COVID cases continue to skyrocket nationwide. 

One of Pennsylvania’s senators is now asking President Joe Biden’s administration if enough is being done to protect seniors living in assisted-living facilities.

Sen. Bob Casey has joined with legislators from across the country in calling for the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to give them more data on vaccine booster rates in nursing homes. 

“We need to know where they are headed and what their plan is, and, if they don’t have a plan that’s adequate, we need to be proposing legislation to get to a better place,” said Casey, D-Pa.

Casey noted that nationally roughly 55% of nursing home residents have received booster shots. Only about 23% of staff at those facilities have gotten boosters. 

More information, Casey said, would help legislators determine how to best protect seniors. 

“We need to know where we should invest, so that if there’s more money needed for getting boosters to nursing home residents, we need to make sure we appropriate that money,” he said. 

Casey said lawmakers want answers soon because the booster has shown to be effective in combating the highly contagious omicron variant. 

““We can’t wait for months for some kind of boilerplate answer from some staffer down the chain,” he said.

Casey said he hopes for a response from the administration by the end of January.

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